Weeknight Bites: Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

This week has been nothing short of hectic, so I've been utilizing my favorite quick and easy recipes as much as possible! In fact, I've been so busy this week that I didn't even have time to take a picture of today's recipe...a shame, really, because this particular meal is one of my favorites. Why? It's one of the easiest dinners you'll EVER make (seriously - just wait until you see the recipe), it requires my favorite cooking method (the slow cooker!) and the reward is enormous for the little amount of effort you'll put into getting everything set up. Honestly, the hardest thing you'll have to do for this meal is to figure out a time when everyone can sit down together and eat it!

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

1 cup water

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 package italian seasoning mix for Italian dressing*

Place/pour all ingredients into a slow cooker and set to low. Cook 8-10 hours and serve.

This very well may be the shortest and simplest recipe that I ever have or will give you - but hey, it's delicious, and you can pair it with pretty much any side you could ever dream up. This week, I kept it super simple by making this chicken along with two veggies (spinach and corn) that only took a few minutes to prepare. I'm a huge fan of Birds Eye Steam Fresh frozen veggies, and I make sure to stock up on some whenever my grocery store has them on sale. This dish is very versatile as fair as pairing goes. I've made it with mashed potatoes, green beans, black-eyed peas, pasta...the list goes on. Heck, you could even grab some toasted sourdough and make a great sandwich with it...just add some spicy argula and some roasted red peppers and you're good to go! I think I'll try that next...

*Italian seasoning can be replaced with dry Ranch dressing mix for a Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken that's ALSO super yummy. I've made both and love them!

Now, I'm going to kick off my shoes and watch some TV for awhile. It's been a long week, and I'm glad tomorrow is Friday. Stay tuned for more recipes, coming up soon!

Cheers!

Weeknight Bites: White BBQ Chicken Potatoes

If you haven't figured it out by now, I am all about making fabulous meals throughout the week while putting forth as little effort as possible. I don't know about you, but when I get home from a long day at the office (not to mention the grueling commute just to get there and back), I just want to veg on the couch. Even though I love to cook, my weeknights just aren't long enough for me to justify spending more than 30 minutes (MAX) in the kitchen after work. While some of the recipes I'll give you here at Cocktail Cutie may be more involved, always check the titles of my post - if something starts with "Weeknight Bites," I promise it will be quick, easy and delicious. This way, you can enjoy more of your free time during the week while still eating food that makes you smile!

Tonight's recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine's March 2012 edition, and I think it's safe to say that this dish has already become a staple in my house. We've had it twice already, and both times my husband and I have raved to each other about how great it is! It's easy, it's affordable, and it's under 500 calories - how can you complain about that? Try it! Your taste buds will thank you.

White BBQ Chicken Potatoes

1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast

2/3 cup canola mayonnaise

1 tbs Dijon mustard

3 tbs white vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbs pickle relish

4 6oz baking potatoes

2 tbs scallions (green onions), chopped*

*optional

Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. Wash baking potatoes and pat dry. Pierce each potato a couple times with a fork and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake in pre-heated oven for 50 minutes. 

When potatoes are done in the oven, remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. While potatoes are cooling, mix mayonnaise, mustard, white vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper and garlic in a small bowl until blended. Add shredded chicken and relish and mix together until chicken is coated. 

 After the potatoes have cooled for 10 minutes, slice them down the middle. Push potatoes lightly on either side to open them up, and add the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with green onions, if desired. Serve immediately.

This recipe will serve four; however, since I typically only cook for two during the week, I bought all of the ingredients and then halved the recipe. This way, I was able enjoy this dish for more than one night...and after I tried it, I was definitely glad I did! It really is amazing, and I'm already planning to make it again. Until next time...

Cheers!

Some Like It Hot: Slow Cooker Jambalaya

If you ever ask my husband what kind of food is his favorite, he won't give you a conventional answer...he won't say "Italian" (which, in fact, he actually hates) or "Mexican." He'll just say "Spicy." And it's true. He likes everything from ragin' hot buffalo wings to spicy tuna rolls and all things in between. I've also always been a fan of spicy food myself, so a lot of the food that we eat in our house has a good bit of kick to it. Not the kind of hot that will make you sweat profusely and beg for a glass of milk - because who really wants that anyway? - but the kind of heat that warms your taste buds and just plain makes you happy.

All of that being said, I know that not everyone loves a spicy dish. I also know a lot of people who love some fire in their food. So, today, I've got a great recipe for Jambalaya that can be spiced up or toned down depending on your preference. Try it - you won't regret it!

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

1 lb boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 mild sausage links, casing removed

1 (28 oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, with juice

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped*

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp cajun seasoning

1 tsp cayenne pepper*

1/2 lb frozen shrimp, peeled & deveined 

1 cup instant rice

*optional - for less heat, omit these ingredients

Combine first 10 ingredients (or 8 if you would like to make the milder version) into your slow cooker and set to "Low" for 8 1/2 hours. Add frozen shrimp and cook for 30 minutes, then add instant rice and allow to cook for another 15 minutes before serving. 

We love this dish in our house, because it's got the right amount of spice but packs great flavor, too! Feel free to double the recipe if you're up for storing some extra for lunches or future dinners - my husband doesn't usually like to eat leftovers, but he'll gobble this right up. 

Cheers!

Sweet Treats: Fruity Tie-Dye Cupcakes!

My oldest nephew (Sebastian) turned 4 last week - he's growing up so fast! Since he has pretty much every material thing that he could ever want or need, I decided to make him something fun that he could enjoy in an entirely different way - an edible gift, if you will. Those of you who know me personally know that I'm not such a big fan of sweets, so it's rare for me to bake anything because, well...I won't eat it! In fact, this is the first time I've EVER baked cupcakes on my own. As you'll see in the picture, I'm certainly not in the running for America's Next Top Cupcake Decorator...but hey, they actually tasted great! So, in honor of Sebastian's birthday, I'm giving you the recipe for these tart & fruity, soft & sweet tie-dye cupcakes that are a great treat to make for any Springtime occasion (just in time for Easter!).

Fruity Tie-Dye Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix

1 box lemon jello gelatin mix*

1 box lime jello gelatin mix*

1 box strawberry jello gelatin mix*

cream cheese frosting

white cupcake papers

Prepare cake mix as noted on box and preheat your oven accordingly. Once the mix is ready, pour into three small, separate bowls. Add 1/2 of jello packet to the cake mix, keeping each flavor separate. Place cupcake papers in muffin pan and spoon cake mix into each cup, alternating spoonfuls of different flavors of mix until the cupcake paper is 2/3 full. Bake as directed on package and cool for 10-20 minutes before removing from muffin pan and frosting.

*Note: You can certainly change up these flavors depending on your taste. The lemon and lime compliment the strawberry very well, and the cupcakes are light and tart for a great spring dessert - but feel free to mix and match your own flavors according to what you like!

I was feeling lazy, so I simply used a knife to spread my frosting onto the top of my cupcakes. However, if you'd like to make them a little fancier (and appealing to the eye as well as the mouth!), you can use a large ziploc bag to do so. Just spoon the frosting into the bag and cut off a corner of bottom to pipe the frosting onto the cake! You could also purchase a can of "cupcake frosting" from your grocer if you're looking for a faster option; this option comes with pop-on attachments to make frosting pretty and easy, but aren't quite as cost-efficient.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Cheers!